The present invention generally relates to traps for animals and more specifically traps designed to kill small rodents.
Numerous devices and chemical compounds have been developed for the removal and extermination of small rodents. Although many of these devices and compounds are generally effective at killing or trapping rodents, they suffer from various shortcomings.
The spring-biased lever arm type trap is probably the most familiar rodent trap available. A spring urges a lever arm from a set position to a closed position when a rodent moves a trigger mechanism having bait secured thereto. The spring is generally designed to impart enough force on the lever arm to crush the rodent between the lever arm and a base of the trap. The lever arm type traps are often difficult to set without injuring the person setting the trap, they are dangerous to children and household pets and it is often difficult to remove the crushed rodent from the trap without having to touch the rodent.
Chemical compounds designed to kill rodents are also potentially dangerous to household pets and small children. In addition, increased environmental awareness and health concerns among consumers limits the desirability of these products.
Many live traps have been developed that are designed to capture a rodent without killing it. One type of live traps comprises slidable, interfitting tubes or members biased toward each other axially. When the traps are set in an open position a trap opening provides access to a trap chamber within the interfitting members. When a rodent takes the bait a trigger mechanism causes the members to advance toward one another so as to close the trap opening and trap the rodent therein. Many of these type traps are designed to be disposable such that when a rodent is caught the trap with the rodent therein is disposed. Such disposable traps are wasteful and expensive where multiple rodents must be caught. If the trap is designed for reuse, the traps are not designed to facilitate release of the live rodent.